For railroad cars adapted to carry automobiles, it is essential that the cargo be enclosed to protect it from theft of components. Such railroad cars are provided with sidewalls, a roof spanning the sidewalls and ends that are closed off by doors. Typically, the railroad cars are designed to have a floor and either one or two intermediate decks supported above the floor for holding the automobiles loaded thereon. The automobiles are driven from platforms at the end of the railroad car onto either the floor or a deck for loading.
The height of the railroad car is a critical matter. Due to limitations (underpasses, tunnels, and the like) along the railroad, the height of the car is restricted. Especially, in the case of a car designed for three levels, i.e. having two decks supported above the floor, the total height of each automobile is thus limited by the height of the roof above the floor and by the width of the decks. A saving of two or three inches can be of great significance.
A number of end closure (door) designs are known for railroad cars of the type being discussed. Usually, the doors slide from the closed position to a position along the inside of the sidewalls. A suitable guide track or rail is provided adjacent the bottom edges of the door. The guide rail does not hinder the operation of the door and provides security by restricting the outward movement of the lower end of the door. Thus, access may not be gained to the interior of the railroad car by pulling out of the bottom edges of the doors away from the end opening.
The guide track or rail must extend upward from the floor at the end of the car. This extension, undesirably, takes two or three inches away from the effective floor to roof distance of the enclosed railroad car. Actually, where it is necessary to bridge the rail with a plank, or the like, the floor to roof distance is even further diminished.
It is an advantage according to this invention to provide a railroad car adapted to carry automobiles having end closures with bottom guide rails that do not diminish the effective distance between the floor and roof of the railroad car.